When do you plant your fall food plots for deer?

whitetaco02 · #1 08-10-2009, 05:31 PM

I was curious when you all plant the food plots for deer in the fall.

cpowel10 · #2 08-10-2009, 07:11 PM

I'm going to plant most of mine opening day of bow season.

I'm not planting bow plots this year since we've got a lot of soybeans in the fields, it would be pointless. I'm going to plant a few plots of oats between my morning and evening hunts sept 12th for rifle hunts later this fall.

Pilgrim · #3 08-10-2009, 07:17 PM

Weather dependent! September and October are typically so dry that I usually wait for something like a tropical storm or a significant front to come through. Two years ago it worked perfect! Last year our seed laid in the dry dirt for four weeks before rainfall came

whitetaco02 · #4 08-10-2009, 08:25 PM

Our club president said we are going to plant the first week of October which I think is a great idea!

It is still so hot in Sept. and we never really got much out of our plots last year. We think the heat may have attributed to that.

We will just focus on natural browse!

whitetaco02 · #5 08-11-2009, 09:00 PM

When do you think it is too late to plant?

tbrown913 · #6 08-12-2009, 05:48 PM

im planting a couple bow plots this weekend, our main planting will be the first of sept.

i have a few spots back in the woods off the trails that will get hit and planted with iron clays over the weekend.

germag · #7 08-12-2009, 06:04 PM

We plant the first week of October. The reason is simple. Deer tend not to use really food plots much until the acorns and other mast crop are gone. If you plant too early, by the time the deer really start using the plots, the plants are too mature and tough. If you wait until October, then the plants are still young and tender when the deer start looking for secondary food sources, and the deer seem to spend more time in the food plots.

Different strokes for different folks...that's just the way it seems to me and the way I do it. YMMV.

Allen Waters · #8 08-12-2009, 06:06 PM

We plant the 2nd or 3rd week of sept if the weather is cooperating. If you are planting a good bit say 10 acres or more, you risk blowing alot of money if planting any earlier. For bow season, pic out a few small areas to plant if you have to hunt over a plot. We completely lost several acres of peas last year planted in last week of august. We planted oats and clover opening weekend of muzzleloader last year due to the dry weather. If its too hot and no rain wait til later to plant. If you don't have to bow hunt over them, the later in september you can wait the better off your plots will be. AW

coastalredneck · #9 08-12-2009, 06:06 PM

we plant sorghum the first week in july to hunt over until november, then we will go in and overseed the sorghum with wheat/oats right before a good rain. The deer will normally wipe out most of the milo thats head high by then. the remainder is great cover for your birds. We planted sorghum last year with great results and its pretty easy to grow (low maintenance). Good luck